Some Selected Reports from The Windsor and Eton Express
18th November 1837
On Monday afternoon, while Mr.Hammond, surgeon, of Eton, was returning to his own residence from Eton College, one of the wheels of his phaeton came off and he was precipitated into the road.
The carriage was broken to pieces, and the horse, being disengaged from it, ran off, but was fortunately stopped without doing any farther mischief. Mr. Hammond it was found had received several
bruises, but we are happy to be able to state that he was not seriously injured.
Pigeon Shooting - On Thursday a shooting match took place at Clewer, for a handsome silver tankard, which, after a spirited contest, in which there was some admirable shooting, was
won by Joseph Polland, Esq, of Addlestone. A highly respectable party afterwards sat down to an excellent dinner provided by Mr.Dash at the Star and Garter Inn.
The Parish of New Windsor - The Churchwardens. A very singular step has recently been taken by Mr.Sharman, one of the present churchwardens, which shows the reckless spirit which
sometimes governs some persons. It really appears that gentleman does not care in the first instance what he says, and in the next place does not heed running his head against a wall,
regardless of the consequences. It will be recollected that at the Vestry held on the 4th of April, 1836, Mr.Bedborough, who had been elected on of the Guardians of the Union, declined
to continue to act as churchwarden, believing that the Legislature never contemplated that the two offices should be vested in the same person. In order to put the matter more fairly, we will
quote from our own report of the proceedings at that Vestry what took place upon this subject:-
"Mr. Alderman Bedborough said, as he had been re-elected one of the Guardians, he begged to tender his resignation as Churchwarden, believing the two offices not only incompatible with each
other, but conceiving also that it was never contemplated by the Legislature that they should be held by one person. Questions might arise at the board of Guardians in which the Churchwardens might be concerned, and
one question regarding some land in Old Windsor had actually arisen; he therefore conceived that a Guardian was not competent to fill[?] the office also of Churchwarden"
"Mr.Sharman said, he must candidly state that if Mr.Bedborough has not introduced this subject, he should have done so. He had sat with Mr.Bedborough as Guardian, and he had seen the same
difficulty as that which had been pointed out. He thought that according to the Act of Parliament the office of Guardian was inconsistent with the holding also of parish offices."
Shortly after the above discussion or conversation Mr.Sharman (according to the report above quoted) observed that "he had found no one Member of the Board of Guardians more
efficient than Mr.Bedborough."
It was well known at the time that two other gentlemen were to be put in nomination by a certain party as churchwardens, in opposition to Mr.Bedborough and Mr.Legh, who was then mayor,
and who consequently declined to serve again, and Mr.Sharman and Mr.F.Twinch were unanimously elected.
The thanks of the Vestry were also unanimously voted to Messrs. Bedborough and Legh for their past services.
So here we have Mr.Sharman's own approval of the resignation of Mr.Bedborough of his office of churchwarden, because of his being a member of the Board of Guardians - nay more, we
have Mr.Sharman's own declaration of his intention himself to have done something in the matter, if Mr.Bedborough had not resigned. What, therefore will be thought of the consistency of that
gentleman when we state that he has actually procured a citation from the Ecclesiastical Court to be served on Mr.Bedborough, with Mr.Legh, requiring them to appear and make the usual
declaration of churchwardens. The citation states that it is "at the promotion of Richard Sharman, a churchwarden of the said parish," and thus we have him first objecting to Mr.Bedborough
serving as churchwarden, and now his having procured a process from the Ecclesiastical Court to compel him to serve. So much for consistency.